Would you have a male cleaner?

[TheSecondMrsAshwell]

A friend of mine is in between jobs at the moment (his company downsized). He is quite houseproud and really quite good at cleaning - his kitchen is a work of art. I was going to suggest that he become a cleaner - I think it would deffo suit him.

But then I wondered, how many would mind a man they don't know in their house? Would it bother anyone?

Wouldn't bother me. My main criteria would be can they clean and more importantly do they clean properly and finish the job.

I would have a male cleaner, it's not really any different to any tradesman or handyman working in your home.

I have a male cleaner. He's great.

The best cleaner I've ever had was male. Unfortunately he decided to go back to his native Philippines and no other cleaner has ever matched up.

I, too, had a male cleaner. The ability to clean is independent from chromosomes.

Why would this be an issue?

I have one - well he and his wife often work together, but usually just him. He's fab. (Also Filipino, weirdly)

Wouldn't bother me, so long as he was good at the job

I have never had or wanted a cleaner, but a male cleaner would be quite good I think. My daughter has a cleaning business,and she has had to sack several women cleaners,as they did not work well,and two of them spent most of their working time on their bloody phones.

Wouldn't bother me. Most tradesman who have been in my house have been Male. In fact I'd say all of them have.

I had one when we lived in London -- well, he and his wife ran the service together, but he was the one who did our house. He was great. When they went back to Brazil, they passed on their business to another couple, and though it was usually the wife who did our place, it was occasionally the husband, who was also very good, reliable and extremely nice.

A friend who had recently moved into a flatshare that came with a landlord-mandated cleaner did once tell me that she came downstairs very late one morning, not thinking anyone was at home, and screamed when she saw a strange man in the kitchen, before noticing he was wearing Marigolds and holding a bottle of Mr Muscle, so probably wasn't a burglar.

Yes I would, although I'd employ Donald Trump himself if it meant I didn't have to clean.

I wouldn't hesitate to hire him if he were good.

she has had to sack several women cleaners,as they did not work well,and two of them spent most of their working time on their bloody phones.

And does she think that men don't have phones, or are less likely to go on them at work?

Why would this be an issue?

I dunno, I can be a bit odd about letting men I don't know into the house - possibly because I had someone in once who made me feel very uncomfortable and I couldn't wait for them to leave (there was a certain smirk on his face like he knew that he was bothering me and he was enjoying it).

Most people tend to be out when the cleaner comes anyway which negates that issue I guess?

Not having a cleaner (and you can tell!) I hadn't thought of that.

I do have one (as part of a husband & wife team who work together). He’s great.

I wouldn't, no. I do have male tradesmen, but I don't leave them alone in the house unless there are several of them working together so will be keeping an eye on one another. It's also a completely different kind of relationship: most tradesmen I see once or twice and never again, whereas with a cleaner you have to see them week in week out while they go through your cupboards, bins, fridge etc. Personally I would only feel comfortable negotiating that kind of quite intimate working relationship with another woman. I'd happily hire male cleaners if I ran a hotel or offices etc that needed cleaning, but not as a domestic cleaner for my house. Other people may well feel differently, though.

I'm never home when my cleaner comes so it wouldn't be an issue for me. Even if I was home I wouldn't mind. I don't see my relationship with my cleaner as at all "intimate". Although I love the fact their existence means I don't have to clean

I wouldn’t mind at all. My criteria for a cleaner is honesty, trustworthy, clean in their own right, cleans well and do what is needed. Doesn’t have to be a woman.

Our best ever cleaner was a Slovakian gent. World’s nicest bloke and, more importantly, excellent at his job.

In property, many end of tenancy cleans (full deep cleans) are done by mixed male and female teams. The supervisors are often male because they drive around dropping off equipment.

I’ve never had a cleaner, male or female, ‘go through my cupboards’ and I cannot feel that handling the contents of my fridge or bin is in any way ‘intimate’, unless knowing that we go through a lot of hummus and occasionally eat yoghurt past it’s ‘use by’ date constitutes classified information.

I have a male cleaner, he's lovely and very good at his job. He also gives me a hand if I need to shift any furniture. We've been renovating our house and a barn for a long time, all of the tradesmen are men. It doesn't bother me at all. Men are not an alien species, they're human, just like women are. I treat a person with respect and if it's not returned then I'll change my way of dealing with them. Doesn't matter to me if they're Female or Male